Advanced technology of detection requires more sophisticated camouflage devices for military purposes than heretofore. Today camouflage devices must be effective in the visible, near infrared, thermal infrared and radar regions of the spectrum to prevent recognition or identification of military targets.
Camouflage articles usually consist of supporting nets and clipped on colored garnishing, textile-like material. This type of camouflage material produces successful results only in the visible and near infrared regions of the spectrum. In order to protect against radar detection, metal fibers have been incorporated into the base textile material. The incorporation of an electrically conductive layer in the garnishing material improves the effectiveness against radar identification.
In order to change the emission factor in the infrared region, an attempt was made to adjust the emission to simulate the natural background emission coefficient as described in Pusch et al, application Ser. No. 459,354, filed Dec. 16, 1982, by providing a metallic reflective layer and a camouflage paint which contains pigments having reflective properties in the visible and near infrared regions of the spectrum similar to those of a natural background. Since the conductive layer also serves as a reflective layer for the thermal infrared region of the spectrum, the conductive layer is bifunctional. However, a disadvantage of this arrangement is that the conductive and/or reflective layer does not exhibit constant performance when under usage stress. In addition, the camouflage material is affected by solar radiation and does not behave the same as natural foliage. Under these circumstances, the camouflage does not blend into the natural background.
Grasses and leaves have specific temperature control arrangements not only depending on the emission coefficient. The temperature control system in nature is quite complicated. Part of the absorbed solar energy is used in photosynthesis. The rest of the absorbed energy is transferred to the ambient air by means of molecular water evaporation. Many plants change the incident angle of solar radiation by changing the leaf position to avoid overheating by solar radiation.